Armistice Day, 1918

ARMISTICE DAY— 1918 By George Bargaehr. Every American soldier in France or Belgium and every citizen at home remembers with some vividness the occurrences of Armistice night and each loves to tell his experiences. But, of course, I think that my experiences were not quite like those of anybody else, so I hope you will be interested in them. We were with the 362nd Infantry in Belgium and our Battalion was at Oyke. On the night of the tenth of November we marched from Oyke through the snowy slush along a sunken road. As I remem- ber it now, the night was dull and somewhat overcast with clouds. The vision of our surroundings was obscured by the ground rising high on either s>ide of us. A kind of fog made such objects as we could see appear vague, indistinct and murky. However, the fog gradually cleared away. I suppose that none of us common doughboys had any idea where we were nor where we were going, and some, I fear, had become so accustomed to following blindly and were so indifferent to our location, that on occasion it might have proved our undoing. After a brisk march of five or six kilometers, I should judge, we came to the main highway, and in a few minutes we came first to an isolated house now and then and later rows of houses situated in such a way as to indicate that we were approaching a town. Shortly ahead of us was a great Dutch windmill obscurely outlined on the left of the road. As we marched into the town, lights showed here and there, and we could tell by the shadowy figures and the bustle that others of our Regiment had preceded us and were trying to make themselves comfortable for the night. We, therefore, concluded that this town was to be our resting place for the night. We soon came to a very large house on the left of the road. We were ordered to stop and find quarters for ourselves for the night. We immediately went into the large house. Some men had "beaten us to it," and were busy sweeping and cleaning the floors. We had not been in the house long when the moon, which had been obscured by the clouds and fog, shone brightly for a few minutes through a great breach in the wall and roof of the house. By its light we could see our sur- roundings better. A great shell had torn out a corner of the roof and a section of the wall ahead of us and had perhaps exploded within the building, leaving the stairway to our right unsafe, suspended by only one of the side supports, and strewing the contents of the shattered flower boxes over the floors of the room to our left. Men were busily cleaning up the mess preparatory to making themselves beds on the floor.

196 IMPROVEMENT ERA We climbed the shaky stairs and, lucky for us, we found that other soldiers had occupied the room before us, and had left us a bed of straw. We made ourselves comfortable and settled down for the night. Next morning we arose and went out into the chilly fog. Men were making fires in the side streets to keep warm and to prepare breakfast for themselves. They were strangely careless of themselves considering that the Germans were supposed to be less than half a mile distant. No shells or bullets came to warn them to be careful and men exposed themselves with increasing boldness. No reveille was sounded and there was no information. After eating a cold breakfast, we began to explore the town. We found that we were in Bevere on the outskirts of the town of Audenarde. All the houses were deserted. Many of the windows were broken and boarded up. Many of the homes were shattered with shells. A great unexploded shell lay on the pavement in front of one store. We went into the great cathedral and picked over the ruins. The great tower had been partially shot away and one of the giant pillars that supported the immense roof was cut off as cleanly as if by a knife. Odd relics still hung in frames on the walls, but the altar and the holy things connected with it were strewn about in confusion and some of them were buried under masses of debris. Two priests were prowling about the ruins. After inspecting the church, I went into the town. The lower part, which looked like a park, was flooded with the water from the river. The bridge over the river had been destroyed and a temporary bridge was in its place. Across the river a hill rose steeply before us. We presumed that the Germans held the crest of that hill and that they could make the crossing of the bridge warm for us. However, we felt unusually safe as no shells or bullets came to warn us to cover. The hill ahead of us certainly looked formidable and I found myself wondering how many of us would "go west" that day. It was also strangely quiet. As we went back into the town I met a drunken French soldier riding into the town on a horse. Le guerre est Finis" said he, and he waved his hand unsteadily. We went further up the road and we met the Colonel of the regiment and some other officers. They were wearing their soft campaign hats. "Why don't you shed the tin hat," said the Colonel affably as he walked by. "Go and help Chaplain Smith," said my Lieutenant to me. I could see the Chaplain just going into the Windmill so I huried to catch him. I followed him to the back of the Windmill and there lay one of our comrades, a bullet through his forhead. He had evidently climbed to the top of the ridge by the Windmill, and when he had looked over he had been shot, and had rolled to the bottom of the ridge by the Windmill.

Armistice day— 19 is i9? We examined him to find out who he was, and the Chaplain sent me to get some blankets, and some others to get a stretcher. When we returned we rolled the body in the blankets and placed it on the stretcher. Four of us took the stretcher and followed Chaplain Smith to the Catholic cemetery where some men were digging a grave. We lay the body down until the grave was completed. A large crowd gathered around. We lowered the body into its grave; the Chaplain offered a short prayer, and in a few minutes the grave was covered. One of the Knights of Columbus fashioned a head marker out of an old shell-casing and placed it at the head of the grave. After this ceremony we went to lunch, and we munched our chow in quiet thoughtfulness. After lunch we went to hear a concert by one of the regimental bands on the public square of Audenarde. We were beginning to feel safe, and we made free to investigate the old city hall from top to bottom. Later in the day we had the pleasure of being deloused in an old factory which had been fitted for this purpose by the Germans. We found a portable phonograph and some records in one of the housies, and we made ourselves comfortable and played many selections. In the evening, a brilliant, clear night, we requested permission to send up the remaining star shells, but permission was refused, I think, out of courtesy to the defeated Germans and partly because the officers suspected we might need to use them. This is how we learned of the end of the war, and how we spent Armistice day. We hope Armistice day will be the last day of great international war, and that peace can be brought to pas9 and good will towards all .men. Nobody wins in a war. The present condition of England,' France, Italy, and Germany and Austria prove this. We hope that America may take the lead in bringing about international peace, and goodwill. Nephi, Utah. Night Serene The sun's last ray has sunk as in the sea, And twilightless, the darkness gathers fast, With tired wings the birds in bush and tree, Have settled down to slumber sweet at last. Majestically the feathery-palm now stands In sombre silhouette 'gainst evening gray. While surf and rip-tide chase the rolling sands, And twinkling stars now shed their diamond ray. From labyrinth of rush and business din, To such abandon quaft from nature's share, Impels my slumbering soul to live again — Aye, live the beauty God has painted there. Such love, such joy, such bliss and art divine, Is bread of life to this weak soul of mine. Los Angeles, Calif. O. F. URSENBACH.